However, I have personal experience of vets refusing to treat a very sick skunk because he was spraying. SKUNKS AS PETS By Elroy C. Jensen, D.V.M., M.S. About the Treatment of Injuries, Abscess', ETC. In the case of wild skunks the answer is no. Deborah Cipriani of Skunk Haven, Inc. with some of her black and white charges. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Habitat/Spotted Skunk. What does it smell like that would be so bad? A skunk owner went to this clinic in good faith so her baby skunk would get the medical treatment it needed. Is Descenting a Ferret Cruel? Descenting was banned as an unnecessary mutilation when the new animal welfare act came into force in 2007. The statistical reality of descenting, is that it's rare. This is usually done by 4-6 months of age, but descenting is often done when the kits are very young and still with the breeder. Domesticated skunks are unique and sometimes rewarding pets, but they require a lot of specialized care. However, skunks need such shelter when they are most vulnerable. Pet skunks can be trained to sleep during the night and be active during the day. The freakin skunk didn’t even try to run it just let its scent fly turning in a circle spraying both dogs everywhere, then trotted off. Descenting takes care of a ferrets ability to "skunk" but they still smell. I thought skunks only produce about an ounce of their stinky spray at once? A quick test of an edited video to view a skunk descenting surgery with parts of the procedure zoomed in. I know that in Europe descenting is considered a cruel and unnecessary procedure. You could stand a chance of losing the fox if something goes wrong. Motor vehicles are responsible for more skunk deaths each year than any other factor including disease, persecution by humans, and the rabies virus. Skunks are native to the Americas and are first noted in historical accounts of Christopher Columbus.Skunks were reportedly kept as pets by some Native American nations. The hooded skunk also differs from the striped skunk in that its foot-long tail is longer than its body. You should know that the American Ferret Association opposes the practice of descenting except in cases where the ferret’s health is at issue. Most skunk owners will tell you that skunks are wonderful pets and are very intelligent. All skunks should be fixed and descented as soon as they are sexually mature, if not younger. Your dogs, on their worst days, are like a whisper compared to a jet engine. Both animals have the thin white stripe on the face and have the same general preferences for riparian habitats. Striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) scent glands were ligated closed with waxed dental floss to allow them to be handled during toxicological studies without fear of scenting. Skunks can be demanding eaters. There is no problem distinguishing the western spotted skunk, also known as the civet. Their natural diet is quite eclectic. Descenting. I caught another skunk, the 5th one in the same spot under a cabin. n. 1. Surgical. As seen in Is That Skunk? When not sleeping, skunks need lots of love and attention. Still, keeping a domesticated skunk happy and healthy is a lot of work, and so is acquiring a pet skunk in the first place. We've had dogs before so we know pets sometimes produce bad smells, but I don't see why it's a big deal. If left alone all day, they can get mischievous and even destructive. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. Unlike cats and dogs, domesticated skunks lack homing instincts to find their way back. Define skunk descenting. When raised in a house, pet skunks put their claws to use opening doors, cabinets, drawers, and even refrigerators. Members of thi Some argue that a descented skunk has unfairly been stripped of its natural defenses. Because of the powerful odor, and fear of being sprayed it may be difficult for some people to tolerate smelly creatures living under a deck or old shed. It is eas ily recognized by its black and white color and noted for its strong scent.
If you think that a square might definitely haves a mine underneath of it, right click on it to flag the square. I mean, they don't spray if they're not scared anyways, and even if they did, we'd just clean it up afterwards. Some people like to keep skunks as pets. Is it legal to have a pet skunk in Illinois or Texas? Skunks have trouble digesting processed foods. Pet skunks are also known to steal blankets, towels, sweaters, and other soft items that they bring to their sleeping den. Audio removed for size and upload speed. Finally, without scent glands, domesticated skunks have no way to protect themselves from predators. Some skunks also have a taste for garbage. This clinic cost this skunk it's life. All skunks have long claws used for digging up worms, insects, and grubs. History. As with any pet, prospective skunk owners should think long and hard about whether or not they have the time and the resources to properly care for a skunk before purchasing or adopting one. Color variations, however, include brown and white, all white and albino as well as champagne, lavender, smoke, mahogany and apricot. ... Descenting Ferrets, Skunks etc. Skunks are not walking stink-bombs who might go off any second. 2 things....1st: find out what is illegal and not illegal to have a skunk as a pet in Illinois or Texas. Well socialised skunks will only spray if scared or injured/ill. skunk, name for several related New World mammals of the weasel weasel, name for certain small, lithe, carnivorous mammals of the family Mustelidae (weasel family). Im going to be buying a pet skunk for my mother for her birthday and it needs to be descented, it is 3 weeks old and very friendly and playful the current owner says she does not spray but i want to be careful i was curious how i can go about getting it descented i live in southern california De-scenting is a very dangerous procedure on foxes and serves no purpose. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, More posts from the NoStupidQuestions community, Press J to jump to the feed. There are four species of skunks in North America, only two of these are present in the Mid 3 skunks ago I had one that wouldn't settle down and there was a piece of old rain gutter hanging down diagonally and froze into the sand between the cabin and the woodshed, and that third skunk sprayed about 4 times into that gutter, missing me while I put it down with the syringe of rubbing alcohol. While a relatively simple procedure, there is some debate as to whether or not descenting skunks is humane. But that's just my two cents on the whole descenting thing. The typical skunk colors of black and white vary by species. Wild skunks eat anything from insects and snakes to fruits and veggies. Due to unprofessional handling on the clinic's part , the skunk felt threaten and bit one of the staff members to protect itself. Return To Top FREQUENT URINATION Unless your skunk is in heat, this may indicate kidney or bladder problems or Diabetes. It is cruel to keep a wild animal as a pet if you don't know how to care for it. To stave the idiotic replies off, YES you can keep a pet skunk, NO they dont stink, they can be descented, and if you think thats cruel thats your choice keep it to yourself. Descenting is a surgery in which the vet removes your ferret’s anal sacs. The term skunk, however, refers to more than just the well-known striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis).The skunk family is composed of 11 species, 9 of which are found in the Western Hemisphere. Over the years I have had quite a number brought in to me and sent in to me often from great distances. Of course, this is partly because pet skunks are \"disarmed,\" usually having their musk or scent glands removed surgically at an early age, so they can't spray you. I'm thinking of getting a pet skunk, but I believe descenting them is cruel. Also, many countries outside the US deem it as animal cruelty and consider it illegal. It is currently legal to own domesticated skunks in only 17 states: Alabama, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Skunks are shy, intelligent and adorable creatures but not when they spray. [ 6 ] Descenting just prevents your ferret from "farting" (expelling a poof odor) when frightened or excited, just like skunks do. 2nd: can you manage a vet's visit for a 'descenting' the skunk and never let him/ her alone outside, or a horrible dog fight/ cat fight would happen on the spot. She of course had to roll over it. In addition, only skunks born in the wild learn the skills necessary to forage and hunt. This descenting technique was more rapid and less traumatic than scent gland removal. This will NOT eliminate the urine odor. Still, their biggest threat is the same as that facing wild skunks — cars. If you keep them clean the smell is minimal, but bear in mind that ferrets poo a lot and are hard to litter train. 1. But I got so used to two smell-free dookers that I was gagging when the new guy released his "puff" and still had some greasy stuff all over his butt trying to wipe it off on my slippers and pants. They are very playful, and require lots of stimulation. But, as with any exotic pet, appropriate expectations are vital to the enjoyment of having a skunk as a pet. even if they did, we'd just clean it up afterwards We've had dogs before so we know pets sometimes produce bad smells. A pet skunk’s diet should include lean protein (chicken or fish), vegetables, some fruits, and cooked grains—all fresh. How feasible would it be to just get one that's not descented, as long as it's been checked for rabies and all that? If a pet skunk is let out of the house or escapes, it may be in grave danger. Skunks can travel several miles a day, and unless found, a lost pet skunk is in trouble. I've smelled it when driving past dead skunks on the road and it was only a little unpleasant I thought. There are even genetic lines of skunks with brown and white fur that are raised for pets so as not to be confused with wild skunks. viewers may wonder: do skunks really make good pets?
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